Aspidosiphon (Aspidosiphon) gosnoldi Cutler, 1981
General description:
U.S. Geological survey station 1692, 29º30’N, 80º29’W, 32 m depth (Cutler, 1981).
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Aspidosiphon (Aspidosiphon) gosnoldi Cutler, 1981
Aspidosiphon (Aspidosiphon) gosnoldi Cutler, 1981
General description:(Cutler, 1991)
Holotype: National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, USNM 61624
Paratype: National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, USNM 61625, collected by R/V Eastward station 1439.
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Aspidosiphon (Aspidosiphon) gosnoldi Cutler, 1981
General description:The name of this species acknowledges the vessel, R/V Gosnold, used by the U.S. Geological Survey, in the collection of these worms (Cutler, 1981).
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Aspidosiphon (Aspidosiphon) gosnoldi Cutler, 1981
General description:Most of these specimens have been collected inside gastropod shells resulting in a coiled trunk after fixation. Consequently it is difficult to obtain accurate measurements. This species has a distinct anal shield, composed of randomly arranged flat units, not tightly packed, of approximately uniform size. The distal hooks are compressed bidentates hooks followed by unidentate ones. Aspidosiphon gosnoldi has been reported only in the West Atlantic Ocean in subtidal zones.
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Morphology:(From Cutler 1981, Cutler 1994)
External anatomy
Introvert is 1.5 to 3 times the trunk length.
Tentacle crown composed of 8 to 10 small finger shaped tentacles surrounding the nuchal organ.
On the distal introvert compressed bidentate hooks (20-30 µm tall) are arranged in rings, followed by unidentate ones.
The anal shield is well defined and composed of randomly arranged flat units, not tightly packed, of approximately uniform size.
The caudal shield is not well defined, composed of scattered units suggesting a radial arrangement.
Internal anatomy
The longitudinal muscle layer of the trunk wall is continuous except under the anal shield.
Intestine attached anteriorly and posteriorly by spindle muscle.
Nephridia length is about 50 to 90 % of the trunk length.
A pair of retractor muscles, fused for about 35 to 50 % of the total length, originates at the posterior end of the body wall at the border of the caudal shield.
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Size:This species size ranges from 2 to 22 mm in trunk length but they are usually from 5 to 15 mm long (Cutler, 1981).
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Distribution:This species has been reported from the Atlantic Ocean from Cape Hatteras to Florida and in Brazil to 23ºS (Cutler, 1994).
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Habitat:This species lives mostly inside gastropod shells at shelf depth from 5 to 190 m (Cutler, 1981).
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